The FCC should extend commenting deadlines for its further NPRM on closed captioning overnInternet Protocol, said several consumer groups representing the deaf and hard of hearing in a joint filingnWednesday (http://bit.ly/19vxo9v). Comments on the proposed rules — part of the FCC’s implementationnof the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) — are due Sept. 3 and repliesnSept. 30. Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inc., National Association of thenDeaf and other groups want a 60-day extension for comments to Nov. 2, with replies due Dec. 2, so they’llnhave more time to reach a consensus with the consumer electronics industry, said their filing. “We havenspoken with a CEA representative and are optimistic that we will be able to convene a meeting betweennconsumer and industry representatives by early October,” said the consumer groups. “Extending the commentnand reply comment deadlines would allow the meeting to occur before comments are filed, thereby affording an opportunity to improve the quality of the record.” The groups also need the extension becausentheir pro-bono legal counsel, the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law and Policy Clinic, isn“generally inoperative” during the summer, making it hard for the groups to file comments in September,nsaid the filing. The FCC should grant the extension “to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing,nthe primary beneficiaries of the IP captioning rules under the CVAA, are not denied the ability tonweigh in on the critical accessibility issues raised in the FNPRM,” said the consumer groups.
展开▼
